Chose this cruise for the interesting itinerary which included several of the Scottish Islands plus Faroe Islands. Another big plus point was the embarkation port of Avonmouth Bristol. We had tried a 3 night mini cruise with CMV aboard Magellan departing from Tilbury but vowed not to use Tilbury again because of the difficulty of getting there from the West Country. We also found Magellan a bit too big for our liking so Astoria seemed worth a try.
We were not disappointed, she is a lovely old ship, perfect size for us with everything we needed. The whole place was spotless, the cabin was well appointed with a proper full sized bath and marble surrounds to the basin. There was ample storage for our belongings and also a fridge and a safe. There was a tv with a deck cam channel so you could see what was going on outside and also a channel for tracking the progress of the ship and its location. The staff were all lovely. 19 different nationalities apparently but all were very keen to please and always acknowledged you with a smile and a hello whenever we met.
There is a formal restaurant for evening dinner and you chose either early 6pm or late sitting 8.15pm and are seated at the same table each night. This venue is also available for a 'served' lunch with an arrangement whereby you sit at the next available table so get to meet other passengers, this system is also used for breakfast which is a buffet set up. There is also the 'Lotus' bar which is a self service restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner plus afternoon teas there is also a tea and coffee station open between 6am and midnight. The food was very good and there was plenty of it. There was hot food available at lunch as well as a very good selection of salads and good bread rolls. Cooked English Breakfast was available as well as cold meats, cheeses, breads and continental pastries. Evening meals in the restaurant consisted of a choice of 3 or 4 appetisers a couple of soups a salad course a main from a choice of 3 or 4 and 2 or 3 desserts. We were on a table of 8 and no one had any complaints about any of the food for the entire cruise. It's not 'haute cuisine' but was hot, very well presented, there was a good variety of dishes, particularly lovely fish but the only criticism is that the vegetarian menu was unimaginative and a bit repetitive.
The entertainment crew were fantastic, great personalities and very talented. The orchestra were amazing and the shows were well executed and varied. The stage is small and the seating all on one level so visibility is a bit restricted but this is part and parcel of an older vessel.

Lovely Old Ship with Very Interesting History

Astoria Cruise Review by Elvis-1960

Chose this cruise for the interesting itinerary which included several of the Scottish Islands plus Faroe Islands. Another big plus point was the embarkation port of Avonmouth Bristol. We had tried a 3 night mini cruise with CMV aboard Magellan departing from Tilbury but vowed not to use Tilbury again because of the difficulty of getting there from the West Country. We also found Magellan a bit too big for our liking so Astoria seemed worth a try.

We were not disappointed, she is a lovely old ship, perfect size for us with everything we needed. The whole place was spotless, the cabin was well appointed with a proper full sized bath and marble surrounds to the basin. There was ample storage for our belongings and also a fridge and a safe. There was a tv with a deck cam channel so you could see what was going on outside and also a channel for tracking the progress of the ship and its location. The staff were all lovely. 19 different nationalities apparently but all were very keen to please and always acknowledged you with a smile and a hello whenever we met.

There is a formal restaurant for evening dinner and you chose either early 6pm or late sitting 8.15pm and are seated at the same table each night. This venue is also available for a 'served' lunch with an arrangement whereby you sit at the next available table so get to meet other passengers, this system is also used for breakfast which is a buffet set up. There is also the 'Lotus' bar which is a self service restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner plus afternoon teas there is also a tea and coffee station open between 6am and midnight. The food was very good and there was plenty of it. There was hot food available at lunch as well as a very good selection of salads and good bread rolls. Cooked English Breakfast was available as well as cold meats, cheeses, breads and continental pastries. Evening meals in the restaurant consisted of a choice of 3 or 4 appetisers a couple of soups a salad course a main from a choice of 3 or 4 and 2 or 3 desserts. We were on a table of 8 and no one had any complaints about any of the food for the entire cruise. It's not 'haute cuisine' but was hot, very well presented, there was a good variety of dishes, particularly lovely fish but the only criticism is that the vegetarian menu was unimaginative and a bit repetitive.

The entertainment crew were fantastic, great personalities and very talented. The orchestra were amazing and the shows were well executed and varied. The stage is small and the seating all on one level so visibility is a bit restricted but this is part and parcel of an older vessel.

Cabin Review

Cabin 467

Spotlessly clean, comfy beds adaquate storage. Great little bathroom with full size bath and shower over. Good water pressure and fresh towels whenever you wanted them. The cabin steward looked after us very well. Location was great as we were near everything but didn't have any noise problems from any of the public areas. This is an outside cabin with a single window